Thanks in large part to NIH-funded medical research, Americans today are living longer and healthier. Life expectancy in the United States has jumped from 47 years in 1900 to 78 years as reported in 2009, and disability in people over age 65 has dropped dramatically in the past 3 decades. In recent years, nationwide rates of new diagnoses and deaths from all cancers combined have fallen significantly.

Scientific Leadership

NIH is the largest source of funding for medical research in the world,
creating hundreds of thousands of high-quality jobs by funding thousands
of scientists in universities and research institutions in every state
across America and around the globe.

The Office of the Director is the
central office at NIH, responsible for setting policy for NIH and for
planning, managing, and coordinating the programs and activities of
all the NIH components. The NIH
Director, with a unique and critical perspective on the entire agency,
is responsible for providing leadership to the Institutes and for constantly
identifying needs and opportunities, especially for efforts that involve
multiple Institutes. The NIH Director is assisted by the NIH
Deputy Directors including the Principal Deputy Director, who shares
in the overall direction of the agency's activities.

NIH is responsive to Congressional legislation that adjusts NIH's
programs to meet changing research needs. As a result of the NIH
reauthorization process, NIH is able to respond strategically in
an era when medical research requires constant innovation and increased
interdisciplinary efforts.

More than 80% of the NIH's budget goes to more than 300,000 research personnel at over 2,500 universities and research institutions. In addition, about 6,000 scientists work in NIH’s own Intramural Research laboratories, most of which are on the NIH main campus in Bethesda, Maryland. The main campus is also home to the NIH
Clinical Center, the largest hospital in the world totally dedicated to clinical research.

Successful biomedical research depends on the talent and dedication
of the scientific workforce. NIH supports many innovative training
programs and funding
mechanisms that foster scientific creativity and exploration. The
goal is to strengthen our nation’s research capacity, broaden
our research base, and inspire a passion for science in current and
future generations of researchers.

NIH encourages and depends on public
involvement in federally supported research and activities. NIH’s
wide-ranging public efforts include outreach
and education, nationwide events, requests for public input on
NIH projects, and special programs designed specifically to involve
public representatives in clinical research.

A History of Health

For over a century, NIH scientists have paved the way for
important discoveries that improve health and save lives. In fact, 145 Nobel
Prize winners have received support from NIH. Their studies
have led to the development of MRI, understanding of how viruses
can cause cancer, insights into cholesterol control, and knowledge
of how our brain processes visual information, among dozens
of other advances. Read
more about NIH history